What happens when a couple of Swiss guys take over a mostly dormant watch brand, and reinvigorate, reinvest, and then engineer it back into one of the leading independent brands?
One outcome is that when you see these watches you immediately know that they are high-quality and intriguing, but you have to learn more and look hard to understand why. And as you spend more time with them, like I did with three of them on my wrist for several weeks, the more you realize is there. As a naturalist, I couldn’t help to see the parallels to ants. If you have not studied ants yourself, these small social insects are amazing to observe and comprehend–whether they are carrying three sisters in their mandibles across the pavement with relative ease, or driving through the forest in a column that will eat a large mammal–a literal lifetime of fascination exists in each little organism. There is similar depth in the story of these watches and their design.
In our conversation with Raphael, the Formex CEO, and Markus, the Formex Director of Marketing, we discuss the history of Formex and how the brand has evolved over the past half-decade. The Formex team helps us understand the unique features of their watches and the engineering that has gone into them, such as the automotive-like shock system and their proprietary carbon fiber material. and discuss the specifics of the Essence 39, the Leggera 41, and the Reef diver. This discussion just begins to unearth the evolution, form, and function of these watches, a brand that should be in consideration as one of the best value propositions in watches. Raphael also describes the origin of the name “Formex” from two French words, forme and extrème. Even here there is a convergence with the myrmecological world with the formica being the Latin word for ant, and myrmex being ant in Greek.
In the end, on this Dogwatch shift we discuss the story of the incredible evolution of a brand and the example of how its watches can provide endless fascination.
As a brief announcement, if you are going to be anywhere near New York City this coming weekend, you should certainly stop by the Windup Watch Fair and say hi to the Formex team and check out these watches in person. The show is Friday, October 21 and Saturday October 22 from 12-6:00 pm. Sunday is from 12-5. It is hosted by Worn & Wound, and if you don’t know them, check out our interview with co-founder Zach Weiss On the Dogwatch Episode #40. The fair is in the Altman building on West 18th St, and I guarantee you will be glad you went.
